There’s nothing quite like a coffee in the morning to put an extra spring in your step. And new data suggests that boost isn’t just in your head—the daily habit could be doing real, long-term good for your health.
The latest research, a scientific statement published by the American Heart Association in its journal Circulation, lands on a reassuring number: for most adults, up to 5 cups of caffeinated coffee a day—around 400 mg of caffeine—is safe and, for some people, may even be linked to a lower risk of several heart conditions.
There’s a catch that makes the exact count matter. In people with healthy blood pressure, drinking just 1 to 3 cups a day was associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, while more than 3 cups was linked to a lower one—one of several findings that suggest a single morning cup may not be doing much for your heart either way.
Gregory Marcus, M.D., who chaired the statement’s writing group and is associate chief of cardiology for research at UC San Francisco Health, put it plainly: up to 5 cups a day “is safe and does not increase cardiovascular risk”—provided it’s black, without added sugars or fillers.
But the fine print cuts both ways. Drinking 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day was tied to a lower risk of heart disease, heart failure and stroke. Go past four, and the researchers warn the risk of heart failure may start to climb.
